Lacrosse Eye Protection News: Implementation Date Delayed Till 2017

Date: 2/24/15

CONTACT:
Gregg Hartley
hartleyassociated@icloud.com; 561.543.7789

SILVER SPRING, MD – February 23, 2015 – The Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s Lacrosse Committee and U.S. Lacrosse have worked together to create a ‘win-win’ scenario for the sport of women’s lacrosse. Specifically, the SFIA has worked with U.S. Lacrosse officials to extend the ‘lifetime of use’ for current women’s lacrosse eyewear standards by an additional 12 months.

Effective immediately, both the ASTM F803 and F3077 women’s lacrosse eyewear standards will be legal for play through December 31, 2016. As of January 1, 2017, only ASTM F3077 women’s lacrosse eyewear standards will be considered legal for play. The original implementation date was January 1, 2016, less than a year from now.

“This final decision by U.S. Lacrosse is a perfect story about how the SFIA represents its member companies and gets things done for its members," says SFIA Lacrosse Council administrator Gregg Hartley. “Our thanks to Melissa Coyne of U.S. Lacrosse for her assistance with this change and to the U.S. Lacrosse Women’s Game Rules Subcommittee, as well, for their ‘big picture’ perspective.”

“We applaud the leadership on this issue from SFIA,” adds David Hill, senior vice president/general manager – field and court sports, Rawlings Sporting Goods (St. Louis, MO), which produces lacrosse products through the Gait and deBeer brands. “The SFIA played a key role in bringing all parties together so that we could reach an agreement on an issue which is now a ‘win-win’ for all parties involved in the sport of lacrosse -- players, teams, parents, manufacturers, and associations.”

“We want consumers to understand that there is no significant change to eyewear products between these two performance standards,” said Melissa Coyne, director of games administration at US Lacrosse. “The primary difference in the two standards is the testing protocol that equipment manufacturers will now be utilizing.”
The Sports & Fitness Industry Association, the #1 source for sport and fitness research, is the leading global trade association of manufacturers, retailers, and marketers in the sports products and fitness industry. SFIA seeks to promote sports and fitness participation as well as industry vitality through research, thought leadership, public affairs, industry affairs, and member services.